Periodontal disease affects the supporting tissues of the teeth, bone, periodontal ligament, cementum and gingiva. It is periodontal disease which causes a great percentage of all tooth loss in adults.
The reason for periodontal disease is bacterial plaque accumulation on the tooth surfaces. Over the years, chlorhexidine digluconate 0.2% and 0.12% mouthrinses have shown to be most effective in controlling bacterial plaque accumulation when used twice daily. However, a significant side effect of its use is tooth staining, which depends in great proportion on the dietary habits of the individual. Consequently, plaque removal is mainly achieved through the use of mechanical means during regular oral hygiene.
The most difficult areas to reach for proper oral hygiene are the interproximal surfaces of the teeth. These areas are best cleaned with the aid of dental floss. The various types of dental floss used in the prior art effect only a mechanical cleaning of the interproximal tooth areas. Antibacterial medications, such as chlorhexidine are typically dispensed to the teeth and gums by means of periodic mouth rinsing with appropriate solutions of the medication. This treatment method has two drawbacks: it exposes the entire tooth surface to the discoloring action of chlorhexidine. It also achieves only transient concentrations of the medication, which remain high only for a brief period after rinsing, and decay rapidly as the medication is carried away by the saliva. It is desirable therefore to provide an oral system that permits delivery of the medication to the interproximal surfaces of the teeth particularly at the juncture of the enamel and gingival tissues, wherein such medicament delivery is continuous for a significantly long period of time.